Sam Amidon On World Cafe

Sam Amidon grew up surrounded by music, from playing fiddle with his parents in Vermont to finding a best friend in musician and arranger Thomas Bartlett (a.k.a. Doveman).

On his fourth album, Bright Sunny South, Amidon draws from a variety of traditional folk material, weaving it into his own mesmerizing compositions. With the help of Bartlett as a bandmate and producer, several tracks on the new album go beyond tradition to include free-jazz influences, as well as a cover of Tim McGraw's "My Old Friend."